


A Sinking Feeling

by HerbBirb



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Legend is tired, Light Angst, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), poor boi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-20 15:41:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20230291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HerbBirb/pseuds/HerbBirb
Summary: Legend is having a bad morning.





	A Sinking Feeling

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fanfic based on the @linkeduniverse by @jojo56830
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this one-shot.

Legend never liked it when they switched worlds. It was confusing and frustrating and very inconvenient. Just when he’d thought he was familiar with the land around him, he was dropped somewhere completely different. The switches were erratic, always changing at random times. Most times it’s when they’re traveling. Sometimes it’s during meals. A few times it’s during battles.

This time, they were all asleep.

That would have been disconcerting enough on its own, to wake up somewhere new, but they didn’t land in just any world.

Oh no, they just had to land in Wind’s Hyrule. Smack dab in the middle of the Great Sea.

Ice cold water rushed over his head. Legend jolts awake, his muscles tense, adrenaline suddenly shooting through his veins. He flails, his legs kicking free of his bedroll and propelling him towards the surface. For a second, he remembers the last time he was thrown into the sea. But the thoughts retreat to the back of his mid as he breaks the surface with a gasp, wonderful, wonderful air rushing into his lungs. He takes a deep breath, then another, his heart pounding in his chest. Salt water stings his eyes as he squints at his surroundings.

Four was closest to him. The smallest hero flounders slightly in his struggle to keep his head above the water, his eyes wide with alarm. Wild swam a couple feet away, his movements fluid and experienced, like he was used to randomly getting dunked in a sea. He makes his way over to Twilight, who, in his surprise, shifted into a wolf and is trying desperately to doggie paddle. Hyrule, Time and Warrior bob along with the waves on his left. Hyrule is unnaturally pale and Warrior is spitting up salt water. Time seems relatively okay, save for being a little shocked.

Legend swivels his body around, his gaze roaming over their floating baggage. Someone was missing.

“Sky?” He calls out. No reply.

“Sky?!” He tries again, more desperately. Panic bubbles in his chest.

Legend’s eye catches a flash of tan hair a few feet away, just below the water’s surface.

Why isn’t he coming up…?

The realization dawns on Legend and he can feel his heart drop.

Oh no…

He doesn’t waste a second. Legend dives under again, his body shoots towards Sky. Sky’s legs are tangled up in his bedroll. His face is still, almost peaceful as he slowly sinks towards the endless abyss. Legend blindly grabs at the water until his hands find the fabric of Sky’s shirt. It takes all of his strength to propel them both back up to the surface.

The air rushes into his lungs and he gasps. Sky is heavy in his arms. Legend shakes him forcefully.

“Sky! Wake up Sky!”

It feels like the cold from the water is seeping into his heart.

Please, please please…

He can’t breathe, even though his head is above the waves.

No, no no.

His eyes sting, but not from the seawater

Wake UP.

Suddenly, Sky sputters to life. He coughs painfully, two hands gripping onto the other like a lifeline. Legend gives a relieved sigh and hugs Sky closer to himself. The weight on his heart from a moment ago vanished.

“Damnit Sky, why didn’t you tell us you couldn’t swim?”

Sky doesn’t answer, his eyes stay closed. His breaths are ragged and shaky, but at least he IS breathing.

Phew…

Not today…

Well, not yet anyway.

Already Legend can feel his energy depleting as he struggles to support the both of them. His heart pounds in his chest as the water rises over his nose.

Suddenly, something presses into Legend’s back and boosts him back up.

Wild wraps his arms around the two, sharing some of Legend’s burden. He whispers gruffly into Legend’s ear, “We are not letting go.”

Legend nods, his hold on Sky tightening.

One by one, the other Links swim over to them, calling out in worry as they lend him their strength. They all glance at Sky in concern, who coughs and coughs and coughs. He weakly leans his head against Legend’s shoulder, eyes still closed.

Time shouts, “Is everyone okay?”

His question is followed by a chorus of confirmations.

“I’m fine,” Legend pipes up, “but Sky doesn’t look so good.”

The body in his arms shiver violently, electing more worried glances from the others.

“There’s nothing we can do about it now,” Time’s voice is tight, “we can only hope for a rescue.”

He doesn’t know how long they floated there. Every once in a while Wind or Warriors would call out for help, their voices growing hoarser by the minute. Every once in a while he can feel the muscles in his body contract painfully, threatening to give out beneath him. Every once in a while he considers just giving up, just letting the cold consume him. But every once in a while he can feel the shallow heartbeats of the people surrounding him, reminding him that he is not letting go.

It feels like an eternity before something happens.

Wind bobs excitedly in the waves, yelling at the top of his lungs. They all follow his gaze to the horizon. The blurred shape of ship sails towards them, its Jolly Roger flapping in the breeze. Legend is relieved, deliriously so, but some distant, coherent part of him is screaming with apprehension. Pirates. Pirates…bad?

Eventually, the ships pulls right alongside them. Wind grips the rope ladder and climbs up to the deck with ease. He disappears from sight for one worrying second before reemerging a moment later, wet sandy blond hair clinging to his face.

“C’mon,” He calls down, “these are my pirates.”

They don’t need to be told twice.

Warrior ushers Four and Hyrule up the ladder, before taking Sky’s limp body and ascending as well. Then it’s Time, Twilight and Legend. Wild insisted to go last. He follows behind Legend, the wet rope swaying in the wind. Several times, Legend almost slips right off.

But he made it.

Legend collapsed on the deck. The wooden boards are warmed by the sun and it’s so so nice and he doesn’t want to move. But he forces himself slowly to his knees, blinking the salt water from his eyes. He isn’t prepared for the sight that greeted him.

Pirates.

Pirates mopping up the floor. Pirates handing towels to his friends. Pirates carrying Sky below deck. Pirates everywhere.

Suddenly, something steps into his view.

Wild reaches down and offers him a hand. Legend gladly takes it. It takes a moment for the feeling to return to his legs. Wild lets him lean against him as he glances around.

Time, Twilight and Warrior are standing a few feet away with Wind, who is introducing them to a young blonde girl. Hyrule and Four are following the pirates who carried Sky below deck.

A breeze blows by leisurely, sending shivers up his spine.

“Ugh,” Legend drags a hand down his weary face and groans, “Shittiest. Morning. Ever.”

Wild chuckles dryly.

————————

“How is he?”

Legend glances up tiredly. Wind stands in the doorway nervously wringing his hands. His blue eyes are trained on Sky’s prone body, lying on the floor.

“Fine,” Legend says after a second, “He’s gonna be fine.”

Wind lets out a relieved sigh, the worry in his eyes dimming a little. Legend watches him curiously. The others have already gone to sleep, their soft snores filling the room. Wind only just came down from the deck, which is unusual. Normally, Wind is one of the first to fall asleep. Legend took up first watch out of habit, but also partly because he wanted to speak with Wind. The youngest has been rather…distant all day. Aside from introducing them to Tetra and her gang of pirates, he’d barely said a word.

Wind turns away and crosses his arms, leaning his back against the doorframe.

“Little pike,” Legend says the name teasingly, but makes sure Wind can hear the affection hidden underneath, “What’s on your mind?”

Wind doesn’t meet his eyes, doesn’t say anything at all. Confusion and hurt gnawed at Legend’s stomach.

“Pike,” He repeated, his tone losing its lightness.

Sigh. “I’m just glad we’re all safe.”

Legend is quiet, silently urging for him to elaborate.

Wind chokes out a humorless laugh, “And to think, we almost drowned in my sea.”

Oh.

“Not how I had planned for you guys to see my Hyrule.”

The voice that spoke is dejected and dull and so unlike the normally bright and energetic Wind.

God, it’s too late for this crap.

But he had to fix this.

“Oh, no,” Legend’s eyes widen comically and he gasps, “Goddess it’s happening.”

“What?” Wind whips his head around to stare at Legend.

He feigns horror, jabbing a finger at the other, “Wild has corrupted you. You’re acting all mopey.”

“Mopey?” Wind can’t help giggling at the absurdity.

“Yeah. Blaming yourself for stupid things you couldn’t control. Mopey.”

Wind tries desperately to hide the laughter behind his hands, cautious of disturbing the others. He crawls over to Legend and lightly smacks his knee, the familiar cheekiness returning to his eyes.

“Listen to me, pike,” Legend begins seriously again, “There was nothing you could do, ya hear me? Now get those stupid ideas outta your head.”

Wind sighs again (that’s like the third time already), “I’ll try.”

“Good. Now shoo. I need my beauty sleep.”

Smiling, Wind scurries over to a pile of blankets. He buries himself under before giving Legend one last look.

Thanks.

Legend winked back.

Anytime.


End file.
